Why Choose Me

I find that selling myself is something that I struggle to do, which is why I’ve often just tried to let my work speak for itself. With that in mind, I still think it’s important to understand your chosen vendor’s process; how they do it, and why. Most importantly, how it helps to shape the videos that I create for my couples.

I’ve put together this page to give you an insight into my creative process, so you can hopefully see the level of care and detail that goes into every step of crafting the films that I work on. I recognize how much trust goes into any vendor that you select for your day, so I hope this transparency helps you to better understand my story and the equipment, decision making, and process that I use as part of my professional work.

My Story

I’ve always loved creating, pretty much from as young as I can remember. As a kid, I used to write stories for my parents (they weren’t very good, but they were always pinned to the fridge, so that was nice), and used to spend hours in the garden chasing nature and wildlife with my dad’s old camera, taking photos and imagining myself in some far-away land.

Adult life hit, and I found myself focusing on a career in law enforcement, where I stayed for many years. I had a great time, and I felt like I was doing meaningful work, but there was always this nagging feeling in the back of my head that I wasn’t doing something that made me really happy. Over time, that little ball of doubt grew big enough for me to decide to pick up a camera again, and try my hand at editing the clips I made. I’ll be upfront; the shots were pretty awful. But that didn’t even matter. Something electric had fired off inside my lizard brain, and the next steps of my journey became clear as day. I handed in my notice, left my job, and pursued film-making at University.

Four years and two degrees later, and I landed work in TV & Documentary. From Sky shows to National Geographic, as well as Warner Bros. & Discovery, I gained a ton of experience and was fortunate enough to alongside some incredible and talented creators. But it wasn’t until I was asked by a friend to film their wedding that my experience and passion really felt like it began to click into place. The thrill of being part of such a kinetic, intimate, and mostly unscripted day was such an insane experience, but one that finally clicked with me. I knew I’d found my dream job.

Here I am, three years later. I’m still doing what I love, and I’ve made some amazing memories for myself along the way. Being invited into someone’s life, even for just one day, to capture those moments is one of the best feelings, and it has been so rewarding.

Sometimes, if I’m really caught up in the moment, and I just forget myself for a few minutes. It feels like I’m that kid again running around the garden with my dad’s old camera. It feels like home.

The Way I Shoot

For weddings, I use Cine-Style cameras, and shoot with a number of Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro’s. These are cine-body units that are designed to mirror a lot of the cameras that I’ve used on TV and film sets while being a fraction of the size. They’re not often used for filming weddings, as they can be harder to rig and use than traditional DLSR cameras. But they’re cool, and I love them. They are dedicated video cameras. The colour I get and the options they give me when editing videos for my couples is enough to keep me away from photography cameras that often used by others to shoot weddings on.

During your ceremony, I prefer to be as discreet as I can. Through experience, I’ve found that people are way more relaxed and act like themselves when they don’t feel like they have a camera on them. Nothing ruins a shot more than someone staring into the barrel of a lens and smiling uncomfortably while looking for an escape route.

For your couple’s shoot, I like to offer a small amount of direction, but only enough to get you both feeling comfortable enough to start being yourselves. This isn’t my video shoot, or a project for my portfolio. It’s your wedding. So it’s important to me that when you watch your films back in five, ten, or even thirty years, that you see yourselves in the most natural way possible.

…And Finally

More than anything, I think it’s important that we’re a good fit for each other. I like to work with couples who feel I am a good match for their vibe and day. If you’ve managed to read this far, and feel a connection to my philosophy for filming candidly and naturally, then I’d really love to hear from you.

If I had to sell myself though, I guess there are two things that are my biggest drive for making films. The first is (hopefully) the most obvious; I love film. I adore the process of watching, creating, and being involved in making memories. Film-making doesn’t stop for me outside of weddings. I’m usually driving to a forest, or a coastline at sunset with some of my gear to capture as much of the world as I can. I genuinely live and breathe this stuff.

The second, is that I really care about helping people. In my earlier career, I worked in care supporting disabled young adults, and moved into the police a few years after that. I decided on shooting weddings because the feeling of being able to help create memories for people that I hope they’ll enjoy watching for years is hugely fulfilling for me. This seeps into every decision I make when pressing record on the day, or editing a clip in my office. Will my couples enjoy this? Is this something I think will make them happy?

Having a passion for film and a want to help others is why I think you should at least consider reaching out if you think that I might be a good fit.

I’d love to find out about your story, and if possible, get the chance to add a little to it myself. Who knows? It might end up on my own fridge someday.

Jordan Elwood